Benny Hinn’s Biography: Family, marriage, ministry healing crusades & controversies

Family life and siblings

Benny Hinn’s family were immigrants to Palestine from Greece and settled in the port city of Jaffa (part of modern Tel Aviv in Israel) where Benny Hinn was born on December 3, 1952.

Born Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn to Constandi Hinn and Celmence Hinn, the preacher has six siblings named Michael Hinn, Henry Hinn, William Hinn, Chris Hinn, Sam Hinn and Rose Hinn.

Shortly after the six-day war (Also known as June War, or the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War) which was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states, Hinn’s family moved to Canada in 1968.

Venturing into gospel and televangelism

At the age of 20, salvation would come calling and Hinn surrendered his life to Jesus Christ in February 1972 alongside high school friends who prayed with him.

Shortly afterwards, Benny Hinn who was in his early twenties was called to minister the gospel and thus began and evangelical movement that would grow in leaps and bounds, spreading across the globe.

Pastor Benny Hinn Pulse Live Kenya

In 1974, Hinn received a vision in which he is recounted seeing people falling into a raging fire with a voice telling him that “if you do not preach, every soul that falls will be your responsibility!”.

READ: Rachel Ruto reveals the source of funds for Benny Hinn's crusade at Nyayo Stadium

He first took to the pulpit to preach the Gospel on December 7, 1974 and since then, the televangelist has never looked back in his quest to save souls through Miracle Healing Services, conferences, TV broadcasts, the Internet, printed page, and audio-video recordings.

Fired by his desire to save souls, Hinn traveled to Orlando, Florida, and founded the Orlando Christian Center in 1983 with televised Miracle Healing Crusades in the years that followed.

In 1990, he launched a new daily talk show called This Is Your Day which featured testimonies from those allegedly healed in his miracle crusades.

The Benny Hinn Ministries/World Healing Center Church expanded rapidly, spreading into the USA with Benny Hinn establishing the corporate headquarters in Grapevine, Texas.

Marriage, divorce and restoration of marriage

Benny Hinn married Suzanne Harthern Hinn on August 04 1979. Suzanne would stand by Hinn’s side as his ministry grew in leaps and bounds until 2010 when things fell apart albeit momentarily, with the couple divorcing.

Don Price, the longtime senior advisor to Benny Hinn Ministries confirmed in February 2010 that Suzanne had filed a petition of divorce in Orange County Superior Court on February 1, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences.

Benny and Suzanne Hinn Pulse Live Kenya

At the time of filing the petition, the couple had been separated for a week since January 26.

Prayers, repentance, forgiveness and personal healing were credited for making the Hinns' marriage restoration possible with the couple remarrying on March 03 2013.

During the period when the couple parted ways, reports surfaced alleging that Hinn was dating fellow preacher, Paula White with National Enquirer reporting– with pictures – that Benny Hinn was dating Paula White with the pair photographed exiting a hotel in Rome while holding hands.

Hinn and Paula put the claims to rest, with the preacher denying any affair and making it clear that they were friends.

Controversial healing miracles and prosperity gospel

Hinn has found himself in the middle of controversies with allegations of performing fake miracles surfaces.

Benni Hinn’s nephew Costi Hinn who worked with the televangelist for years featured in a documentary by the Fifth Estate dubbed The insider: Tales from inside Benny Hinn Ministries.

Costi Hinn claimed that the televangelist is a fraud, riding on prosperity gospel to establish an enterprise that was devouring people, adding that fake miracles dominated Hinn’s healing services.

“It is just like a ponzi scheme. The only guy getting rich is the guy at the top.” Costi stated.

Insiders revealed that the preacher was surrounded by “screeners” who would block those who were genuinely sick and in need of healing from reaching the pulpit where Hinn performed his miracles and only allow certain persons to “be healed”.

“I saw the testimony of healing and the stories of healing but I never saw once saw a real healing” Costi revealed in the documentary in which journalists went undercover and questioned the healings, tracing some of those who attended the healing services.

The documentary traced people who had attended Hinn’s healing miracles.

Hinn dismissed the allegations including the claims from his nephew noting that they are deceptive, inaccurate and wild.

Charity initiatives

The televangelist’s ministry is at the center of various initiatives.

My Father’s House children’s homes in Mexico and Asia are among the initiatives linked to the ministry.

Other areas are feeding programs, crisis relief, hospital care, the provision of food, clothing, shelter, education, and religious training for thousands.